A considerable number of publication display racks have been developed over the years for the purpose of displaying printed material. Ideally, such racks allow a maximum amount of material to be displayed with a high degree of visiblity within a minimum amount of space. Heretofore, conventional display racks have attempted to provide visibility of the printed material to be displayed. One approach details displaying the faces of publications in their entirety in a vertical arrangement, thus allowing the display of only a limited number of publications within a vertical array. Another approach is to effectuate display of a plurality of publications in a pyramiding fashion, but a considerable amount of floor area is required for such an arrangement.
Another deficiency of conventional publication display racks is that they have heretofore been formed with rigid unalterable dimensions so that publications of but a single size can be properly displayed. While this presents no real problem in displaying recurring publications, for example, magazines which appear month to month and are always of the same size, or paperback books which are by and large of a single uniform size, the inflexiblity of conventional display racks is quite disadvantageous in displaying other publications. For example, travel agencies periodically receive travel brochures, published mainly by tour chartering agencies. Such brochures typically come in two different standard sizes, specifically 81/2 inches by 11 inches and 4 inches by 9 inches. However, the relative quantities of brochures of each of these two standard sizes varies considerably at any given time. Moreover, different travel agents are attracted to different types of brochures so that the mix of the two different standard sizes of brochures varies considerably from one travel agency to another. With existing travel brochure display racks, the racks are either dimensioned to accomodate but a single size, or they are dimensioned to accomodate the larger 81/2 by 11 inch size. In the former instance, there is no flexibility insofar as accomodating different mixes of the various sizes of brochures using display racks of conventional manufacture. In the latter instance, the 4 by 9 inch brochures tend to fall sideways and present a disorderly and unslightly appearance.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a versitile travel brochure display rack formed by an array of open display baskets of uniform breadth and arranged in vertical displacement one from another in overlapping fashion. The arrangement of the baskets nested in vertical alignment allows display pockets to be formed disposed at a uniform angle of inclination relative to the vertical in the vertical areas of overlap adjacent baskets. With the exception of the lowermost basket, the baskets are all formed of uniform dimensions which both aids in their manufacture and which allows a display to be created which is of generally rectilinear outline, and which is not formed in a pyramid type arrangement. This represents a considerable saving in floor space, especially in travel agency offices which are frequently quite small and usually entail a considerably high rental on a square footage basis. Moreover, by avoiding the pyramid style of construction in which display pockets are arranged in a narrowing pattern proceeding from the bottom of the display rack to the top, visiblity and accessiblity of the brochures is considerably enhanced. With conventional pyramiding type racks, an interested person is forced to view the uppermost publication in the rack from a distance and hence is likely to lose interest quickly in reading any of the brochures unless he notices a brochure that particularly appeals to him. By utilizing the display rack of the present invention, on the other hand, an interested person can move quite close to the upper display pockets, which he is most likely to notice since they are approximately at eye level. The ease of access to these upper brochures and the facility with which they may be read while still in the rack serves to enhance the interest of observers and thus capture their attention longer.
An additional advantage of the improved travel brochure display is that the vertical alignment of display pockets allows a plurality of racks to be mounted on radial arms extending outward from a center pole in an arrangement which can be rotated as on a turntable or lazy susan. This provides a publication display formed of several racks which can be easily manipulated for viewing and which occupy but a small area of floor space. Such an array of rotatable racks is virtually impossible with conventional racks in which brochures are arranged in pyramiding fashion.
A further object of the invention is to provide a rack for displaying travel brochures which is adjustable to accommodate virtually any different mix of brochure sizes. The present invention employs latching links which are rotatably connected to horizontal mounting bars at the rear of each wire basket. These latching links, unless engaged, hang downward in an unobtrusive fashion so that the larger brochures can be positioned in the pockets and read by passing observers without obstruction from the links. On the other hand, the latching links can be rotated up and forward into generally horizontal alignment to extend outward and engage a front cross bar of the brochure pocket. This serves to subdivide the pocket into a plurality of sections of smaller size, so that the narrower brochures can be positioned therein without continually falling sideways. The latching link can be engaged or released depending upon whether the pocket is required for the display of large or of small brochures.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an upward forward support for the upper edge of publications positioned in the pockets. Unlike thicker publications, travel brochures consist of only a few folded sheets of paper. Consequently, after remaining on a rack for more than about a week the upper portion of the brochure begins to collapse and sag forward. This causes the banner lettering, usually imprinted across the upper portion of the brochure to be obscured and presents a displeasing appearance since instead of the banner lettering, the spreading upper edges of the pages of the brochure are presented for observation. By employing the upper edge support of this wire according to the present invention, the banner lettering of the brochures remains visible while the upper edges of the publications are supported.
A further feature of the improved display rack of the invention lies in the construction which provides a pair of spaced vertical standards upon which the baskets are mounted in horizontal orientation. Besides providing support for the baskets, the vertical standards have other utility because their ends protrude above the baskets and serve as posts upon which an upright sign can be mounted. Such a sign can be used to designate the particular area of the world to which brochures in the rack relate, or they can serve as a source of advertising for particular travel chartering firms, airlines, cruise lines and the like. Moreover, the sign can be concurrently employed both to provide information as well as to serve as an advertising medium.
An additional object of a perferred form of the invention involves a decorative end panel which can be clippped into position on the rack to extend vertically along the sides of the baskets to conceal the unslightly edges of the travel brochures which would otherwise be visible.
A further feature of the invention is that the releasable latching links which are used to separate the basket pockets into sections are in generally horizontal alignment with the bottom rail supports of the pocket located thereabove. Thus, the latching links do not interfere with the upward extension of any of the travel brochures, but rather merely augment the lower supports provided to the brochures in the pocket above.